


the day death fell in love with life

by chataoyant



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, Day 3, Fantasy, M/M, forest god, life and death, pandeep week, please bear with me, this could be cringey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-20 17:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16141907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chataoyant/pseuds/chataoyant
Summary: Wherein Guanlin is death and anything he touches dies. And then he met an alive, gorgeous, young boy named Jinyoung.





	the day death fell in love with life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pandeep stans](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pandeep+stans).



> hi! first of all sorry if you won't like this but i still hope you'll do. happy pandeep week! <3
> 
> this work was inspired by a short animated film titled Life of Death by Marsha Onderstij and the anime Hotarubi no Mori e.

 

 

It was nearing dusk and the air smells like soil and sea. Guanlin was lurking around the forest wearing his black shirt and jeans. His arms folded behind his back. His hair was black but it becomes darker when its nearing night time. The forest was surrounded with fireflies and dragonflies. The whistling of the wind made rattle sound on the leaves. 

Guanlin really doesn’t know how old was he. 50? maybe a hundred? He never really felt old. He sometimes sees his reflection on riverbanks but then he sees the same face over and over again. A boy with porcelain skin and doe eyes. His eyebags giving life to his eyes, how ironic, he thought. His hair was a bit wavy and it never really grew. Unlike the people he sees. Sometimes they visit the forest to haunt and they sometimes come back with longer hair. Will he ever get old?

 

Guanlin was still roaming around the forest when he saw a rabbit lying by the riverbanks. 

“Hey little guy.” He looks at the rabbit. It was heaving heavily. It looked like the rabbit was hurt.

“Do you want me to stop the pain?” He felt sorry for the rabbit. What can he do anyway other than rest it in peace? He was Death. And he exists to take lives whenever it’s their time.

Guanlin was about to reached out his hands to touch the rabbit when he heard someone shouting.

“Tofu!!! Tofu!!! TOFUUUUUUU!!!!!”

He stopped midway and looked where the voice was coming from.

It was a boy. Not just any boy. But the boy was atleast as tall as his shoulder. He had hazel broen hair, and this boy has a small face but has sharp features.

The boy suddenly looked at Guanlin’s direction and to the animal next to him. His eyes widened and ran to his direction. He suddenly knelt which made Guanlin fall to his side.

“Tofu?..”

He was referring to the rabbit. Obviously.

“Tofu? What happened??” The rabbit wasn’t moving much anymore. Its breathing becomes shallow every second that passes by. Close to apnea. 

The boy suddenly looked at Guanlin and pointed at him.

“You! What did you do to my tofu?!” His eyes were black like charcoal. His eyelashes flicker like fairy lights. And there were tears on his eyes that made his eyes even more coruscating. This boy is beautiful, Guanlin thought.

“I-I didn’t... I didn’t do anything! I was.. I just saw him there!” Guanlin responded trying not to choke out his words.

The boy sighed and started caressing his rabbit.

“He was my first friend, you know. I saw him in the forest alone. And I wanted to take care of him. And now he’s...” The boy started crying again.

“...gone.” Guanlin whispered to himself.

“I-i’m sorry...” Guanlin said quietly in between the boy’s sobbing voice. Guanlin stood up and was about to leave.

“Hey..” The boy said suddenly.

Guanlin waited for what this boy would say next.

“Uhm. Do you have a name? No, I mean, what’s your name? I’ve never seen you around before.” 

“I’m Guanlin and I live inside the forest.”

“You live inside the forest?”

Guanlin nodded. “Yes. Well.. i’m leaving first.”  
Guanlin turned his back to the boy and was about to start to walk away from this boy with that has the universe in his eyes.

“Jinyoung.” 

“Hmm?” Guanlin turned around to face him.

“My name’s Jinyoung.” 

Guanlin gave him a small smile and started walking away from him again.

“Wait!”

Guanlin stopped again to face Jinyoung.

“Uhm.. See you around i guess!” Jinyoung gave Guanlin a blushy smile and ran away.

“Bye, Guanlin!”

 

-

 

The next day Jinyoung hurriedly went into to the forest to look for Guanlin.

“Guanlin-ah!” rusting around the bushes. Jinyoung looked for Guanlin.

“Hey.”

Jinyoung stopped.

“Hey, I’m up here.”

There was Guanlin sitting on a tree. Looking brilliant as ever.

Jinyoung admitted to himself that Guanlin was indeed shining. He has porcelain skin, he looks fragile and full of beauty. His lips were red and his hair black as night. He had such gentle eyes and his eyelashes flickers like loose sparks.

“Will you come down?” Jinyoung asked Guanlin who was wearing the same black jeans and shirt that he always wear.

Guanlin thought for a second. 

“Hmmmm. Only if you promised not to touch me!”

“But why?” Jinyoung thought that it was absurd.

“Well because if you touch me, you’ll be gone.”

“Guanlin, what are you even talking about?”

Jinyoung wasn’t convinced of Guanlin’s condition. It sounded ridiculous. 

“Just promise not to touch me! I don’t like people touching me. Alright? or we can’t be friends.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “Alright.”

Guanlin smiled and climbed down the tree.

 

-

 

“We went to the park! I enjoyed the rides a lot except for that ship-y thing...” Jinyoung was evidently happy today.

“It was scary! and after the ride, I wanted to puke so bad! Ughhh...” Jinyoung made that crunchy face he always likes to do. By all means, he looked extra cute with his bizarre expression.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhh...” Jinyoung breathed out. 

“Yesterday was such a full-on fun day! You should come with us next time, Guanlin!”

Guanlin looked at him like he said something funny.

“What? You should come! Promise me!!!” Jinyoung held out his pinky finger to the boy infront of him.

“And what if I don’t?” Guanlin asked.

“Hmmmmm... Then you’ll be the one to take me somewhere!”

Guanlin thought for a moment. This boy really won’t stop until he gets what he wants. That was one of the traits he kinda liked about Jinyoung. If he wanted something he’ll do his best to get it. He studies hard to get a high mark. He visits Guanlin even though Guanlin knew he was a bore. Guanlin knew he doesn’t have anything to tell Jinyoung. How he was born, if he had two people who took care of him. He was born not like the others. He was born to touch things for them to die. And it pained him. Is that all he can do? Be the medium for creatures to meet their end.

Guanlin was at that time holding a stick, “Hmmm... Alright then! It’s a deal.” Guanlin touch the other end of the stick to Jinyoung’s pinky finger.

 

—

 

Guanlin and Jinyoung became friends almost instantly after meeting each other for a week.

 

and the week after that.

 

and the week after that.

 

Guanlin found out that Jinyoung actually lives in the city. He was only in vacation during May. He grew to know more about Jinyoung—that he likes eating strawberry ice cream, he loves fishing, he likes taking care of animals and that Jinyoung was sick. 

“I was diagnosed 3 years ago. They said I only have a few years to live.” Jinyoung told him, while they were sitting on a rock by the sea shore. 12 inches apart. It was a silent afternoon, the sea crashing the shore Guanlin looked at him. He was always so beautiful. The air always loved brushing his hair gently. Jinyoung’s eyes still look scintillic and full of coruscates looking at the sky above them.

“I didn’t want to believe them. You know, I’m still young.” 

There was a long pause and Guanlin could certainly here the sound of their breathing in harmony. Every second that passes by, Guanlin’s yearn to touch Jinyoung goes stronger. He wanted to hug him until he could take away his pain. He wanted to hold his hand to let him know that anytime, anywhere, he could run to him and he’ll always be there waiting for him. He wanted to touch Jinyoung’s face and tell him that he’s always here and he’s never gonna go, even if Jinyoung won’t need him anymore, even if Jinyoung leaves first.

“Guanlin, can I ask you something?” Jinyoung suddenly asked. Guanlin nodded in response.

“Why won’t you let me touch you? or at most lay a finger at you?”

Guanlin was silent. He didn’t know if he should lie or tell Jinyoung the whole truth. Jinyoung was Guanlin’s first ‘friend’. It was hard for him to befriend all the creatures in the forest, then just imagine how hard it would be for him to befriend a human being?

Jinyoung was a bright boy. Full of happiness. A bottle of sunshine. He’s beautiful, smart, kind and funny. Guanlin knew how lucky he was to be friends with him. And he hoped Jinyoung feels the same.

“I..” Guanlin muttered. He lowered his head and looks at the surface of the rock that they were sitting on.

Now it was Jinyoung who’s looking at him. Jinyoung always thought that Guanlin was mysterious. A guy whom he met in a forest. He never saw nor visited Guanlin’s house. He doesn’t even know who are Guanlin’s parents or if he even has one. He didn’t know when was Guanlin born. What he truly know is that, Guanlin has a pure heart. He loves climbing trees and picking up shells. He loves smiling on one side that makes his side cheeks fuller. He has the brightest smile that he always wear every time they see each other. Guanlin was smart and kind. Guanlin was otherworldly. 

And Jinyoung loves Guanlin.

“It’s because...” Guanlin trying to choke out the words.

“You’ll disappear.” Tears are threatening to escape Guanlin’s eyes real soon.

“I don’t understand, Guanlin. Please make me understand.” Jinyoung plead. 

“If I touch you, you’ll die, Jinyoung! You’ll die! You’ll die because of me!” Guanlin said a little too loud.

Jinyoung stared back at him. Guanlin‘s tears staining his porcelain cheeks.

“I’m death. I’m forest god of death. Anything I touch that has life, it dies. It dies under the touch of my hands.... it dies, Jinyoung...” Guanlin choked out a sob. His eyes red-rimmed. His eyelashes wet with tears.

 

“..And I don’t want you to die because of me.”

 

Guanlin was sobbing. Jinyoung was crying too and he badly wants to wipe out Guanlin's tears.

“I’m dying, anyways.” Jinyoung whispered to himself, matter-of-factly.

 

—

 

The two boys continued meeting each other. Nothing changed between them except the fact that they become closer each day. Guanlin felt like sunshine after the rain and Jinyoung will and always be the love of his life.

 

—

 

Guanlin decided—as what he had promised Jinyoung—to take him somewhere. They hiked deep into the forest, they passed a small river bank and went straight to a cliff. 

Jinyoung’s mouth fell open upon seeing the view infront of him.

It was the overview of the whole town. It was breath-taking. The lights from each house made it look like they were looking at a sea of stars. Like a kaleidoscope.

“You could maybe close your mouth now.” Guanlin chuckled.

“Shut up.” 

“Here.” Guanlin was holding a stick again and at the edge of it was a necklace with a pendant. 

“What’s this?” Jinyoung holds it.

“A necklace?”

“I know, dumbass. I mean, what’s this for?”

“Oh its just something I’ve always kept. I want you to have it.”

“It’s really beautiful.”

The necklace had a long lace and a pendant that carved the words,

"M-mon soleil?" Jinyoung gently pronounced.

“What does this mean?” he asked again. 

“My sunshine.”

Jinyoung secretly smiled to himself. His stomach suddenly was filled with butterflies.

 

Guanlin sat down and Jinyoung did too. Jinyoung felt grateful and thankful. What Guanlin showed him was beyond what he was hoping for. He instantly fell in love with the view and maybe also to the one who showed him what the world looked like.

 

—

 

Jinyoung grew tired as each day passed. Cleaning the dishes was a handful of work. He couldn't run for a few minutes anymore without feeling like his lungs are going to break. He was taken to the hospital for four times now and had to stay there for a week.

 

—

 

After more than a week of not seeing Guanlin.

Jinyoung met Guanlin by the sea shore again where Jinyoung said he was sick and that Guanlin confessed that he was death.

 

“Guanlin..” Jinyoung smiled at Guanlin weakly like anytime he would break into pieces. He was wearing the pendant necklace that Guanlin gave him, it was hanging loosely around his neck.

“Hi.” Guanlin looked at Jinyoung with all the love in his eyes. He smiled back at him.

Jinyoung sat on the rock where they always sat 12 inches apart.

“Guanlin..” 

“Hmm?” Guanlin looked at Jinyoung. And this time Jinyoung looked at him. 

Jinyoung was still beautiful. Ever so beautiful even though he looks weak and fragile. He was still the Jinyoung he loves and will always love.

Jinyoung moved closer. Almost closing the space between them. He raised his hand at the side of Guanlin’s face but he did not touch him. Not yet, he says to himself.

“Jinyoung... don’t-“

“Ssssh. It’s okay.” Jinyoung smiled at him with all the pain he was trying to hide.

Guanlin stared at Jinyoung’s eyes which was already wet with tears. Guanlin tried not to drown in them but he knew he already did from the moment he looked into them. 

 

There Guanlin deeply realized after a long time being with Jinyoung—that even though Jinyoung has a soul and Guanlin has none—it almost felt like he was alive every time he was with Jinyoung, that he wasn't death, but he was only a normal boy with a normal life (And how badly he wanted it to be true.) 

 

They stared at each other in silence, listening to the sound of the waves and calmness of the night. The air was cold, but it didn’t matter. What was important was that they were there together, loosing and drowning on each other's presence. Guanlin wished they could stay like this forever but it's unlikely. Because sometimes not everything has a happy ending. One is left because the other had to go. That was the pain of loving someone who's already dying. But Guanlin didn't care because he would love Jinyoung over and over again until the world lasts and infinities end.

And under the distant moon, the rustling of the trees and the blowing of the cold wind in their faces. Jinyoung reached out to Guanlin and enveloped him in an embrace and said,

“Take me home, Guanlin.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thoughts? comment it down! sorry if this was a mess. thanks for reading! <3


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